Waking Up from A Dream
by Althaea11
Summary: A Rizzles hurt/comfort one shot dealing with loss, grief and happy memories all weaved together. Trigger Warning: Implied Major Character Death at the onset. Update: I decided it deserved more chapters. :)
1. Chapter 1

**Author Notes: Trigger Warning- Implied Major Character Death. A hurt/comfort one shot that deals with grief and happy memories weaved together.**

 **Update: I realized I wanted to give more to this story. Marked as in-progress.**

 _"Do you believe in destiny Maur?"_

 _Maura stopped mid-sentence that she was writing in her journal and looked up at Jane with a curious expression. It was late night, past midnight in fact and both Maura and Jane had found themselves up and out of bed. A case had them work late and Jane had decided to stay back and sleep. But neither of them could catch any sleep so they decided to have a cup of tea, much to Jane's mumbled mutiny. Maura adored Jane even then and she would have almost relented but giving her a cup of coffee instead would have taken away her sleep altogether and the detective clearly needed some rest._

 _Maura wondered how Jane had caught on to that random train of thought. It had been rare moments when Jane would surprise with questions like this, but Maura always cherished sharing those moments with her. A smiled graced Maura's face and she was a little amazed how a single question evoked her own train of thought._

 _"Well, do you Jane?" Maura smirked, knowing Jane would play her 'I asked you first card'._

 _"Hey I asked first!", Jane grinned knowing Maur asked that on purpose. Jane stood up from the kitchen stool and walked over to the couch where Maura was writing in her journal. Maura had told she had recently found a safe space in her writings and that it calmed her mind down. Jane had come to learn that watching Maura write calmed her mind too. Something about a focused Maura and her calming pen strokes… Jane's mind echoed, which Jane immediately dismissed. "Seriously Maur,", Jane almost whined, "Do you believe it?"_

 _Maura gave it a thought, putting her ideas, her contemplations in order like she always did. Jane smiled watching how Maura's face aligned those tiny expressions of focus in place and Jane undeniably loved that. She couldn't hide her smile even if she tried. Maura was so endearing when she was thinking._

 _"I suppose, to believe everything is pre-determined is too strict. It conforms us to believe that no matter what we do, a pre-defined set of things are going to happen to us. I do not believe that. I believe we have a choice to shape our future, no matter how definitive it seems; that we choose who we become and that it is our choices that truly define our lives. It is our choices that drive us to become who we are."_

 _Jane's eyes remained locked in gaze with Maura's beautiful orbs, her mind taking it all in. "I suppose I agree with you there. But, do you agree that there are somethings that are meant to be… say you and me..." Jane smiled at that, because she already knew what she believed in about that specific case._

 _"There are 'n' number of possibilities Jane. What if I had never chosen this path and ended up in Boston? My mind cannot see the rationality there. I am blessed that I got you and you found me. But that this, us, was not our choice is something I cannot wrap my head around." Maura shrugged and looked with a carefully reigned in expression as she continued. "Does that make you sad?" Even assuming that it did, made Maura upset._

 _Jane smiled her lopsided smile and pulled the cushion she had been holding in her lap closer. She lifted her hand up to let Maura hold it and then she gently tugged at hers to sit closer to her. "No it does not Dr. Maura Isles. Do you know why?", Jane now eagerly regarded Maura, her eyes never once flinching with that adoration and love that always managed to lift up Maura's spirit again._

 _"It doesn't? Why Jane?" Maura's expression of wonder back on her countenance. Jane loved that too._

 _"Because that means no matter what,_ _you_ _chose_ _me_ _. That despite the odds or without them in those 'n' number of possibilities, you decided to choose me. I will always be your choice. Like you are mine. For me, that is hundred times better than a predefined destiny."_

 _Maura couldn't contain her smile at that. She could see the admiration radiating from Jane's eyes, her smile affirming her every single word. She gently rubbed Jane's palm with her thumb and looked back in her eyes and smiled._

 _"Of all the things I love about you Jane, this is by far my favorite.", Maura whispered as she settled beside Jane, resting her head on her shoulder in a warm snuggle._

 _Jane smiled as Maura snuggled into her and she whispered back, "And what is that Maur?"_

 _"Rendering me speechless." Maura sighed with content and smiled a soft smile, her palm adoringly entwined in Jane's._

Jane eyes flung open slowly. It wasn't a dream. She had known the moment her brain registered the absence of warmth along her side. She had woken up from a memory. She smiled, still a little unsure if it had ended; hoping against hope that she could go back to that. But something urgent had woken her up. She felt a tug on her arm again.

"Jane?"

It was Rose. Her 6-years-old Rose with her big beautiful eyes fixed on Jane's, standing there with her arms tightly wrapped around her favorite elephant, Ellie. Jane instantly shook away the sleep from her eyes, and sat up. "Princess? Are you okay?" She lifted the little girl in her arms and snuggled her in her lap. "What's wrong baby?" Jane's voice was now laced with worry.

"I missed you. Can I sleep here?" murmured Rose, her voice shaking a little and barely above a whisper.

Jane pulled her close and laid back down with her Rose in her arms. "Yes my baby, always." Pulling her blanket up, Jane stroked her hair softly, her Ellie still snuggled close to her chest. "Was it a bad dream baby?" Jane softly whispered.

Rose just nodded n hugged tighter. Jane softly kissed her brow and cooed, "It is alright baby, don't be scared now, you are in my arms, safe. I love you so much." Rose nodded n held Jane's palm in her little hand. Jane kissed her now-drooping eyes and softly hummed her favorite lullaby. Rose's breathing eased in a matter of seconds and she fell asleep cradled in Jane's arms. Jane knew what dream it had been that had shaken Rose up, it was that one and the same. She looked back down to the little girl in her arms, now sleeping peacefully and she couldn't help but smile. She looked just like Maura. Her mind wandered back to her memory and she closed her eyes. With her little daughter snuggled in her arms and her Maura snuggling in her memory, Jane eventually fell back to sleep too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: I just couldn't let go. I hope you, dear reader, can see the love.**

It never ceased to amaze Jane how every time when her daughter ran towards her to hug her, she felt all her worries, all her pain ebb away. That one moment could lift her spirits up in seconds and she was always grateful she could have that in her life. There was just something absolutely magical about being loved like that.

""Jane! Jane! Look who is back!", a beaming little Rose ran all across the room to jump in Jane's arms.

Jane's face caught the light that was her daughter's beautiful bright smile instantly. Without delay, she kneeled down to catch her in her embrace. ""Hey there princess! You are back to me! I have missed you so much!" Rose hugged Jane as tight as her little arms would let her and then gently leaned back with a big smile on her face. "How much Jane!" Her giggles were already starting to echo through the room.

Jane beamed and stretched her arms as far as they could go and looked back in her daughter's beautiful hazel orbs before pulling her back in a warm and fuzzy bear hug, "Soooo big my sweet princess!"

Rose giggled some more n kissed Jane on her cheek softly. "I couldn't wait anymore to see you either. Gran took so long in the park!" A legendary innocent pout found its way to Rose's lips.

Jane smirked, "She did huh?". The detective, still couldn't let go of the big smile that had adorned her lips so eagerly. She kissed her cheeks and softly rubbed her nose with her own. That always made her little girl beam right back. It did and Jane loved that. "I bet you were the greatest grandkid ever!"

Rose smiled and innocently nodded, her hands now holding Jane's palm, "O yeah, I am always your good princess Jane!" Her smile was so bright, it just lit up the room all over again.

Jane scooped up her little bundle of love and sat back on the couch, removing the files away and snuggling her little daughter close. She was growing so fast; Jane could never grasp.

"Jane, Ellie took a fall today in the park." Rose suddenly grew solemn breaking Jane's train of thought. Ellie was her favorite stuffed elephant. She took her everywhere.

Jane turned around to find any signs of the stuffed elephant but couldn't find it. "Is Ellie okay baby? Did you leave her at Gran's?"

"I had to Jane." Rose sighed sadly. "She got hurt when she fell off the swing. Her face was un... un… ," Rose tried remembering the word her Gran had said, her brows focusing back on the memory, which so strikingly mimicked Maura's look of concentration. "unrecognizable?", she almost asked. Jane nodded, "Oh baby, am so sorry. Will Ellie be okay?"

Rose nodded. Angela had picked up Ellie, dusted her softly and placed her carefully in her bag. "Gran said, she would make her better. She took her with her and promised me to bring her back tomorrow. Jane…", her voice sounded so tiny and lost, it tugged Jane's heart stronger, "What if I could never recognize Ellie anymore?" Rose looked up in Jane's eyes, somehow searching for the truth about the fate of her Ellie as if Jane knew the future. Jane didn't need words when those beautifully solemn eyes spoke so much.

There was something about those eyes. The way they looked at Jane, nestling so much love in their gaze, they were always kind; just like Maura's. Jane could always feel the love that those eyes had harbored. They were her Maura's eyes and somewhere she believed that her Maura was still with her, speaking through her little bundle of love now wrapped up in her arms on her lap. For a second, she felt being pulled back into a memory, hers and Maura's, but she willed herself back, because her present, her daughter needed her.

"Ellie with be okay my baby. I know for sure that when you love someone so much, you can always recognize them,", Jane placed her palm softly on Rose's heart and continued, "Your heart always can. Plus, Gran has superpowers." Jane smiled softly and then leaned in to kiss her little girl's brow. "I have seen it." She smiled a comfortable smile and softly stroked her back, pulling her closer. Rose nodded n snuggled Jane cozily, holding Jane closer with her little arms. Her little girl calmly snug in her arms, Jane softly kissed Rose's temple and let her own memories embrace her mind now, her kisses never faltering. This was an unspoken promise and Jane knew that even if she had to turn the world upside down to get Ellie better for her Rose, she would do that in a heartbeat.

 _"What if someday, I get so bruised and hurt that you couldn't recognize me Maur?" Jane had voiced out._

 _"No matter how bruised you get Jane, this," Maura placed her hand on her heart and continued, "will always recognize this", she moved her hand to Jane's heart. "And plus your eyes would just give you away anyways!" Maura had innocently smiled, her gaze caressing Jane's bruised face in ways she never knew anyone ever could._


End file.
